My Sudden Monster Convergence

“That one over there!” Mom pointed at a large branch resting on two smaller ones, it kinda looked like a misshapened H.

“You got it!” I focused on the two branches, imagining them flying into the sky like they were jet thrusters. The two branches shook like there was an earthquake before slowly rising three feet into the air. Mom quickly ran up and started turning it into a raft, adding several branches and  a large rock on top with, Wuz her, written on it.

“What’s that all about?” I asked as she adjusted the rock, stopped and and turned it just a little to the left.

“Send her up and I’ll tell you.” She said almost breaking into laughter.

I shrugged. “OK.” I shot my hand into the air like an angry referee and the raft shook and blasted into the sky. But just as it was about to disappear into a thick yogurt white cloud, I felt something get pulled out of my hands as the raft turned purple and wavy. The cloud like a white shirt to color, absorbed the purple raft, slowly turning purple and then pink in the middle then purple again. The fluffy cloud was now a pastel purple with a pink ring going around the middle.

“Artistically deadpan my as- rear!” She screamed at the cloud, her teasing voice echoing off the trees. “OH!” She quickly snapped a photo with her phone, tapped at the screen a few times and giggled.

“Sooooo that.” she motioned to the candy colored cloud. “Was revenge on my color blind and really poor peasant of an art teacher miss flou-dou! The woman was after me half the time I drew anything half better than she did! The nerve of picking on a cute little. sweet twelve year old me and calling my cloud poor in color and sorely unrealistic! Well who’s wrong now you nitwit of a whale’s twilight zone!” She vented as if she was the one to laugh the longest.

I looked at her waving her arms like she was having a boxing match with her art teacher, throwing punch after kick and I laughed.

“Sounds like you showed that moron.” I cheered her on as she placed her foot over a pile of rocks and posed with her chest pumped out and her fists at her waist.

 

 

 

“Hey grandpa…How are you?” Cole asked with a nervous look as he scratched his shoulder. Cole stood in the doorway to his grandfather’s workshop, he didn’t move any closer as his grandfather worked some wood into a saw.

His grandfather didn’t answer for a long while, his eyes focused on removing the gnarled branches from the firm lumber. Leading each twisted and thin branch into the path of the saw until they were cleanly severed from the larger piece of wood.

“Hey Cole. I'm feeling fine…Goddess have you guys grown. Feels like it was only last week that I saw you last.” Grandpa said with a large smile across his face.

Seeing that, Cole came closer, leaning on a nearby cabinet. “It’s only been a month since I last checked up on you. Don’t worry though, I snuck in a ton of your favorite nutters.” Cole pulled out a candy bar from his pocket. “This one even has that caramel filling~.” Cole added as he waved the bar side to side just out of his grandfather’s reach.

“Dam it boy!” Grandpa stopped his work to quickly demand the candy. “Hand that over before she sees it!” He shout whispered, cupping his hand over his mouth for added security. 

“Not going to happen, she’s outside with Oliver painting clouds.” Cole said as he spun the candy in the air like a baton and finally placing it in his palm.

His grandfather tugged at the edges of the wrapper, brought it up to his eye level. Examining it as if it were a historical artifact, looking for any damages or distinguishing marks. He pulled and tore the left end off and quickly took a crunchy bite of the bar. He slowly munched with a small smile on his face though he did try to hide the smile by turning away from Cole. 

“That really is a breath of fresh air.” He quickly ambushed Cole into a hug, lifting him up like a small animal.

“Grandpa, you know I don't like h-hugs!” Cole pushed out, as his grandfather emptied his lungs. But Cole didn't try to pull away or even struggle.

“I know but humor an old man for a few seconds.” He asked as he embraced Cole. “Wait! Did you say painting clouds!?” Grandpa pulled away with huge eyes.

“Y-yeah?” Cole answered after a quick refill to his lungs.

“Damn it!” Grandpa turned and ploped Cole on an empty counter like he was only five and ran out. “Ally! Don’t you dare make them rain chocolate milk!”

“Chocolate rain? Mom, what did you do as a kid?” Cole shook his head, a clear giant smile on his face. “Guess I still have some catching up to do.”

 

 

 

“Alright! Now to enhance a cloud you have to list your commands as, water gas total or partial and decide on what you want. Size, color, movement and even flavor……” Mom looked around, her eyes shifting from side to side like she was about to show off a real treasure map. “Now this command was something I came up with after a field trip to Thee coco wonders emporium. You have to mix three ty-” She began

“ALLY AZALEA ROBERTS! STOP THIS INSTANT! STOP!” Grandpa came running out of his house like a demon possessed bear-tiger hybrid was after him. He moved so fast he made a trial of dust in his wake and even kicked a nearby branch into a rock.

Mom crossed her arms as she stared at him. “I wasn’t going to show him how to make a milk cloud.” She snapped at him before he could start.

“Showing it off to him is enough to encourage him to do it!” He pointed out. “Ally, Oliver’s a dragon, you can’t go encouraging him to test any of your made up spells! What if he blows himself up or turns into a balloon?” As he argued about my safety, he moved closer to me and wrapped an arm around me like I was only four.

“I was only teaching him some magic! How’s he going to live in the world if he can't control it? Don’t you want to be a great grandfather some day?!” Mom questioned him with a pouting face.

“Great grand kids?!” Grandpa stopped for a second, looked up at me, right in the eyes. 

“Mom! I thought you promised not to!” I shot at her with a quiet voice. I thought she understood. Maybe I was wrong?

He looked back at mom and scowled. “You can’t go forcing him to make babies just because you want to play mommy! Oliver’s still a man! That’s up to him if he wants a kid or not.” He said sounding disappointed.

“Ok! OK! I’m sorry!” She stepped back. “That was a way too far.” She said as she looked up at me. “Forgive me?” She asked.

I stared at her like she just turned into a monkey that then threw its crap at me. “I’ll think about it.” My back crawled as I said that but my burning anger was larger. “I never said I was ready to discuss… that side of things.” I added, hoping she’d get a clue or show some respect!

Grandpa shook his head at her and mom nodded. “I understand. I’ll let you two get to learning magic then.” She said with a calm voice but her eyes looked a little watery. She slowly walked away, looking back every few steps.

Grandpa sighed once she was gone. “Let’s burn some of that energy, then we can figure out something to eat.” He said as he rubbed his head and motioned for me to follow. I just looked away as I pushed air out of my nostrils and my tail slapped the ground before finally following.

He led me down a path that curved around one of the trees I hit with a log. He scowled at the tree and sighed. “Hopefully I'm not too late to curve this.” He muttered something under his breath.

As I followed the heat I felt only lowered to a dim flame that I only faintly felt at the pit of my chest. The cold air seemed to chill my anger or the air here just calmed my head? But my back, it still crawled and felt……..disgusting.

We didn't walk long but along the way I did notice a few dashing orbs of light sinking into bushes or up into the tree’s crowns. I guess fairies have their own little town around here in the forest. Or some clubhouse… I looked down at my claws, sharp blades.

“Careful, Trents and their sweethearts live not too far from here.” Grandpa warned like he was talking about a grumpy dog down the street. His words pulled me away from my thoughts as I changed focus.

I looked around but I didn’t see anything different from the pink trees. No marks, movements or even any trails or tracks on the ground. If only I could sense mana like Belle, then maybe I could pick up on something in the air around us. I looked back at my grandfather for a long moment, looking for anything glowing on him but there wasn’t any light. “How could you tell? I don’t see anything different here…….. what are you seeing, that I'm not?” I finally asked.

“Heheh, Oliver, you’re always so forgetful. Maybe don’t rush off every time and you’ll pick up something.” He said while giving me a sly smile. He pointed down the road toward several more fairies swooping and doing loop de loops around a bunch of trees. “Fairies are attracted to mana rich plants, they can grow clothes, other random things and even collect sap or nectar. And plant races have loads of both.”

“But what would monster plants want with a group of fairies?” I asked, I mean they didn’t act like bees with pollen.

“Well a convention of fairies brings with it loads of that luck magic. The fairies do their thing and in the process, leave a bunch of it in the air. Every spell or use of magic and a tiny bit is left in the air, ground and even in or on the plants. It's like a super fertilizer…… And There’s that festival they throw every year, it gets them in the mood.” He added at the end a little reluctantly, he even looked away when he said it. 

“What do you mean by that?” I asked. Was he actively seeking them out? Those plant monsters were freaks, probably in more than one way….and I helped them!

“You’ll see in the morning, earplugs aren’t enough….” He grumbled.

“Anyway, look for fairies and you’ll know there’s a garden of plant races nearby.” He said as he pointed at the fairy lights floating around some trees and shrubs.

“Right.” I said curtly. I wanted to drop this topic like a dead skunk with half a slimy fish stuck in its throat. 

Grandpa looked at me, opened his mouth then shook his head. “Come on, we're almost there.”

 He led me further in and around any fairy cons. Avoiding the trees and odd pink or red flowers until we reached a clearing, the ground here feels thicker, almost gravely. The grass and plants give way to white grayish earth and in front of us lay several large rocks with ridged sides and a smooth top that looks like tempered glass. The odd thing about the rocks is how the smooth tops angle almost in a way like a swordsman slashed them at roughly perfect diagonal line. And by looking at where the line declines downward, these rocks were probably once a small building size or taller. 

I looked at my grandfather’s back as he stepped closer to the rocks. Muscles flexing as he moved, the plain white shirt he had, failed at hiding his wide shoulders and toned back. The way he walked with his long, tall and built back was something I didn't notice before. Give him a staff and he could look like a cool kung-fu master or someone from an action anime.

“Alright, Oliver, welcome to my little training grounds.” He turned and presented the clearing with the swing of an arm. “I like to call it #~!@~/<).” He said as he eyed me patiently.

“A what?” All I heard was a weird whistle static sound. For a second I could've sworn his eyes widened but I blinked and his face was the same, like I was just seeing things.

“Ah, sorry. I accidentally spoke fairy in my excitement.” He explained. “The fairies around these parts like to nap around the house.” He shrugged.

“Really? Most fairies at school only seem to chatter in english. Are you feeling ok?” Maybe he was worried about something? I’d rather not lose him so soon!

“I’m…” before he could continue I was already feeling his forehead for a fever and checking for any weird deformities on his skin. I don’t know, he could have magic cancer or some super parasite, I had to be sure. “Oliver, I’m perfectly fine.” He said while holding back a chuckle. “I’m just happy to be showing you the Devil’s regret.” He said as he patted my arm.

Devil’s regret? Something about that sounds a tiny bit familiar…. The words hung in my mind like a delicious mystery food I had as a kid, teasing me with its forgotten flavor. But whatever it was easily escaped me and left me wanting. Though it’s probably best that I don’t overreact in case it’s something I should know. I absentmindedly fixed his messy hair as I thought of what or why it hung in my head but I still couldn’t find the reason.

“Really? I guess I was worried you might’ve been a little sick.” I said as I reluctantly gave him some space but not before quickly dusting his shoulder. His shoulder was clean but uh…….. He could have some hard to see dirt or particles on him. Just have to be safe.

Grandpa sighed before turning to a smaller rock, it looked more like a boulder. He walked up to it and sorta chopped ati with his hand until he broke off a clump of rock. He sat it on the ground and pulled out  a small gold trimmed box from his pocket. What he pulled out of it was a wooden stick, carved with blooming pink flowers and star shaped leaves. As he lifted in the air, the craved plants glowed slightly. “Earth to clay” He said in a firm, commanding voice and pointed his wand at the rock. The rock wobbled a little like it was jello in the wind. “Form six square faces.” the jello rock shook and compressed into a cube. “Clay to solid earth.” He waved his wand into a tight figure eight and made several loops all while the wobbling cube slowly stopped shaking.

He turned to me with a pointed look as if I pranked a neighbor. “Now the magic I used is one of the simplest, vocal reference magic. One I think follows a monster’s magic the closest. It’s like those cartoons you and your brother watch, they always shout out their magical attacks before doing them.” He said with a nod. “Though I don’t understand why they shout so loud, you’re not going to beat an opponent like that.” He added as he shook his head in disappointment.

“It’s mostly to look cooler.” I pointed out but he just looked at me like I was acting like a four year old.

“Drama on the tv only leads to people trying to do it. Besides, using magic effectively is way more showy than screeching with your throat. But that’s besides the point.” He pointed at the boulder. “Get your own material and charge your body with mana.” He instructed.

“Alright, how big should it be? Also how does reference magic similar to monster magic?” I asked as I made my way to the boulder. I stood a good foot or so over it and the top wasn’t polished to a glassy smooth surface. Just a regular rock shaped boulder.

“Make it around the size of a Blazer-ball.” I looked at him with pinched brows, grandpa motioned something a little bigger than a baseball but smaller than a dodgeball. Okay?

Turning back to the boulder, I lifted my right claw, my pointer finger sunk into the rock easily like a fork through jelly. So I just drew a circle with a claw and slowly dug out what I thought was a decent sphere of rock. The really only weird part was pulling it out because….I kinda yanked half the top of the boulder off.

“HA! Heheh!” Grandpa Screamed into laugher, even leaning back as he failed to hold back his laughter.

I turned and tried to glare at him only for him to wheeze like a kettle. I couldn’t help but break into a wide smile at that. It’s been so long since I heard him. I started to laugh along with him and his silly kettle laugh.

Who cares if I look stupid in front of him, I’m having more Time with him.